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CT20: And so to Barbados

Following the Sharks' 29 run defeat to Combined Campuses & Colleges on Saturday evening, the squad now move on to Barbados and Dave Brooks has been keeping an eye on all things Sussex.

16th January 2012

So that is the first leg of the Tour over, later today we transfer to Barbados on Plummet Airlines flight 999. Ok, so that's not true, it is actually a REDjet charter just for four squads of cricketers !

Our Saturday the performance was really disappointing as we all know we are a much better team than we have shown. Each of the boys will know now how tough and unforgiving t20 can be and what they need to do between now and June 12th when we open our domestic campaign. On tricky wickets - which even in the UK sadly seem to be the norm and please let us see the ECB crack down on that - you need to find ways to score runs. Sweeps, fine laps, ramps, reverse sweeps, smashes long and straight are all skills to work on over the rest of the winter period. Plus of course the block, the leave and the exquisite drive ready for the Championship.

However, Sussex are seeing one big success in the form of Dwayne Smith who smashed Jamaica last night. A real talent and if he keeps going like this, he may just get enough international t20's under his belt to get a work permit for 2013. Surely he is a cert for the West Indies t20 World Cup squad this September already . . .

All is not lost of course. We came here to develop and learn, and that is working in spades. And if we smash Barbados on Wednesday and Netherlands beat Jamaica (and probably CCC) we can still sneak through . . . And those Kensington Oval pitches are pacier and should more suit our style.